In which it was totally the monkey's fault
by Aindop
Summary: Fitz & Simmons take an unexpected trip to the future, where they meet a certain mechanic who just so happens to be their great-great-etc.-grand daughter. Rating may change in the future (perhaps, if I get around to more chapters).
1. Chapter 1

**This was inspired by a tumblr prompt I received after I posted that my headcanon is that Kaylee is a future descendent of Fitzsimmons (it makes sense, doesn't it?)**

"Simmons, can you pass me the spanner?"

Simmons turned to glare at her partner. Well, the only part she could see of him, which was his curly hair sticking out of what appeared to be a giant metal box.

"Fitz, honestly, some of us have actual work to do! Coulson wanted these reports an hour ago, and if you're going to insist on keeping that monkey here with us-" she pressed on, not wanting to hear his indignant protests of 'his name is Abu!' "-if you're going to keep that monkey here and expect me not to tell anyone, you're going to have to help me with these reports!"

"Fine," Fitz sulked. "I'll just ask Abu. Abu can you be a good little monkey and bring that shiny silver thing to daddy? I'll give you a pretzel!"

The little monkey chattered at him before slowly getting up and ambling along behind Simmons' microscopes.

"Fitz! He's going to contaminate my samples!" Simmons huffed before getting up to get the spanner for him. As soon as her fingers closed around the cool silver metal though, Abu shrieked and launched himself at her, knocking her straight into Fitz and sending them both toppling into the metal box. A brief flash of white light, then darkness.

"Uhhhgghghhbbblub…" Fitz said groggily. He became dimly aware of a weight on his chest, and slowly, slowly managed to prise open one of his eyelids. There was a shapeless blob sitting on his chest, looking back down at him. Beside him he heard someone else stir.

"Whuhuhwee?" it mumbled.

"Huh?" he managed back (he was much too preoccupied with the blob on his chest that was slowly becoming less shapeless).

"Whuh are we?" it tried again.

"Abu!" Fitz exclaimed, jolting backwards. The little monkey chattered at him disapprovingly, the loosened threads of Fitz's favourite jumper still clutched tightly in his adorable little paws.

"Fitz! Where are we?"

He turned around quickly, almost slamming his face right into Simmons'. He blushed, trying to move away, but the lack of space within the box meant there wasn't much room to move.

"Uh, I'm not entirely sure…" he trailed off, looking sheepish. Upon another death glare from Simmons he added "Well, you see, this is a time machine. And it uh- it wasn't quite finished yet. But when we fell in we must have pressed a button or triggered something…"

"What, there's just one button that says 'ooh, press here for 1204, is there'?! You didn't think to build in any failsafes just in case?"

"Well don't look at me! It was you who fell in and probably pressed the button!"

"Because of your monkey!"

"His name is A-"

Before Fitz could finish his sentence, however, the lid to the box swung open to reveal eight figures standing dramatically around them, silhouetted by the blue-ish light.

"Huh." The one closest to them said.

"Gorramit, why are there always so many people in boxes?" a gruff male voice to their left said.

"Well, it's not my box this time." This voice was more eloquent, obviously wealthier and well educated.

"No shootin' though this time! No shooting's always good." A cheery female voice, from somewhere behind the first voice.

"Hey guys, what's going on? Anyone?... Hello?" a voice crackled over the intercom.

As Fitz's eyes adjusted to the sudden influx of light, he noticed the strange shapes of the boxes surrounding them; the futuristic look of the case Smart-Rich-Man was holding, which was emitting the blue glow.

"I don't think we're in 1204," he whispered to an equally bewildered Simmons.

Abu chattered happily, tossing the spanner around.

**Every time someone reviews, Fitz receives another monkey! (Well in your imagination he can. I don't think I can work any more monkeys into the storyline, sorry).**


	2. Chapter 2

**For anyone wondering, this story is set sometime during the series for Firefly (I refuse to acknowledge what happened in the Big Damn Movie. Wash and Book are **_**not**_** dead. Nop. Not at all.) **

The day had begun so well. He'd woken up feeling strangely happy and excited, like he knew _something_ was going to happen. Something big (or at least new and interesting). Hopefully good.

He thought he'd found the Exciting-Good-Thing when Wash announced that they were going to reach Persephone a day earlier than expected. Then Simon had managed to fit three double entendres into one sentence (he was beginning to wonder if they were actually accidental, as the good doctor always hastened to explain), but Jayne didn't notice or make a crude joke about it. Finally (he was now wondering whether he had died and gone some sort of afterlifey place), Kaylee had informed him that she had in fact managed to fix the leak in the engine, and they would not be needing a new part.

Yep, it had been a great day up until now. Mal stared down in disbelief at the three figures sitting in the box which had apparently materialised out of thin air and into his cargo hold.

"No shootin' though this time! No shooting's always good," Kaylee's cheerful voice came from behind him.

"Hey guys, what's going on? Anyone?... Hello?"

"Yeah, Wash, honey, we picked up some hitchhikers, I think," Zoe said, not taking her eyes off the figures, one of which was now whispering to the other.

"Hitchhikers? Out here in the black? What, they just stuck their thumbs out or something? You know that chances of them being picked up are 2 to the power of 2079460347:1, right?" Wash chuckled to himself. "Read that in an Earth-That-Was book," he quickly added when nobody laughed.

"Aww hell, can I just shoot 'em?" Jayne asked, stepping forward.

"Noo...! Please don't shoot me! I swear I won't time travel here again! Just don't shoot me!" The figure nearest to them immediately cried out, shielding himself with his arms.

"Where's your accent from? I think I heard one like that, that time were at the fancy party with the floating chandelier?" Kaylee mused to herself.

"Kaylee, I don't think his accent is the main issue here," Simon said.

"You haven't forgot," River giggled, reaching out to pet the monkey.

"Fitz, that man is obviously crazy!"

"Hey, I ain't crazy at all!"

"Jayne, put the gun down," Inara called across the room.

"Guys what's going on now? Why's everyone talking at once?"

"Why don't we all just try to keep calm," Shepherd Book said in a reassuring voice.

"Aww but his accent is so nice! You don't hear it very often in the 'verse."

"I'll make you a little hat and a coat, but none of the trees like us."

"Yes, but seeing as they managed to appear out of nowhere, is his accent really a priority?"

"Gorramit I'm sick of these creepy-ass people turning up in creepy-ass boxes!"

"Jayne, violence isn't the answer to everything!"

"Alright everyone shut up!" The clamour of all the intermingled voices attempting to claim the title of Most-Deafening-And-Attention-Seeking immediately cut off.

"Who are you, and what are you doing on my ship?" All eyes turned from Mal to the two people in the box.

"Well…uh…" the girl started.

"Um, I'm Fitz, she's Simmons," the boy interrupted.

"He's engineering, I'm biochem. Fitz was making some sort of time machine, and it malfunctioned and we ended up here," the girl said, rather sheepishly.

"It didn't malfunction! You just pressed the bloody button before it was finished!"

"_I _pressed the button?! I think you'll find it was your monkey's fault!"

"Abu didn't mean to do anything! He was just-"

"You're from the past?!" Kaylee interrupted.

Fitz and Simmons gave each other bemused looks.

"Well yeah, I think. What year is it?" Fitz asked, squinting at her.

"2517! I swear I've seen you guys before! Your faces look familiar…"

"Kaylee, I think the real issue here is how are we going to get them back? I'm Simon, by the way," the Smart-Rich-Man said.

"Well, some of our wires got fried during the journey. Like I said, my Bye-Hi box wasn't quite ready yet."

"'Bye-Hi?' Really? That's what you're calling it?"

"Well it's like you're saying 'bye' because you're leaving, but then 'hi' because you just travelled in time to reach the beginning of the conversation again!"

"That's terrible, Fitz. Absolutely terrible!"

"So basically what you're saying is that you're stranded here?" Mal interrupted their bickering.

"Well, yeah, until I manage to fix it," Fitz answered.

"We'll be Persephone in about a week. We'll drop you off, you'll get your supplies, and be off on your merry way, understand?"

"Ooh, an alien planet, Fitz!"

"I wouldn't really call it alien…" Mal said.

"That's excellent! I'll show you to our empty shuttle! They can stay there, right, Mal? Can I see your box? It looks fascinating!" Kaylee grabbed Fitz by the elbow and began to lead them off towards the stairs.

"Wait! One more thing!" Mal called after them. Pointing at each one in turn, he said "I'm Mal. Or Captain Reynolds, as you'll call me. This here's my second in command Zoe; Wash, her husband and our pilot you'll meet later; Kaylee our mechanic who never stops talking; Simon, our doctor and his sister River; Inara's a uh… Companion, keeps mostly to herself; our very own preacher Shepherd Book; and of course, Jayne, our public relations officer."

"Jayne? Isn't that a girl's n-"

Fitz made a mental note to see if death stares could be incorporated into the formula for the Night-Night gun.


End file.
